have got into the Neumark of Brandenburg, on those bad
terms; and are clearly aware that, without some Fortress as a Place of
Arms, they are an overgrown Incompetency and Monstrosity in the field
of War; doing much destruction, most of which proves self-destructive
before long. But how help it? If the carrying of meal so far be
difficult what will the carrying of siege-furniture be? A flat
impossibility. Fermor, aware of these facts, remembers what happened at
Oczakow,--long ago, in our presence, and Keith's and Munnich's, if the
reader have not quite forgot. Munnich, on that occasion, took Oczakow
without any siege-furniture whatever, by boldly marching up to it;
nothing but audacity and good luck on his side. Fermor determines to
try Custrin in the like way,--if peradventure Prussian soldiery be like
Turk?--

Fermor rose from Posen August 2d, almost three weeks ago; making daily
for the Neumark and those unfortunate Oder Countries; nobody but Dohna
to oppose him,--Dohna in the ratio of perhaps one against four. Dohna
naturally laid hold of Frankfurt and the Oder Bridge, so that Fermor
could not cross there; whereupon Fermor, as the next best thing, struck
northward for the Warta (black Polish stream, last big branch of Oder);
crossed this, at his ease, by Landsberg Bridge, August 10th [Tempelhof,
ii. 216.] and after a day or two of readjustment in Landsberg, made for
Custrin Country (his next head-quarter is at Gross Kamin); hoping in
some accidental or miraculous way to cross Oder thereabouts, or even get
hold of Custrin as a Place of Arms. If peradventure he can take Custrin
without proper siege-artillery, in the Oczakow or Anti-Turk way? Fermor
has been busy upon Custrin since August 15th;--in what fashion we partly
heard, and will now, from authentic sources, see a little for ourselves.

The Castle of Custrin, built by good Johann of Custrin, and "roofed
with copper," in the Reformation times,--we know it from of old, and
Friedrich has since had some knowledge of it. Custrin itself is a rugged
little Town, with some moorland traffic, and is still a place of great
military strength, the garrison of those parts. Its rough pavements,
its heavy stone battlements and barriers, give it a guarled obstinate
aspect,--stern enough place of exile for a Crown-Prince fallen into such
disfavor with Papa! A rugged, compact, by no means handsome little Town,
at the meeting of the Warta and the Oder; stands naturally among sedges,